Thrive By 5 Louisville Launches Child Care Scholarships for Working Families

The pilot program will cover all or part of the early childhood education costs for 225 children.

LOUISVILLE, KY — Families across a wide range of income levels will now have access to full or partial coverage of their early childhood education costs, even if they have never qualified for tuition support before, thanks to new scholarships announced today by Thrive By 5 Louisville.

Thrive By 5 Louisville (TB5L), a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to quality early childhood education across Jefferson County, reached a major milestone today by opening applications for its Family Access Scholarships pilot, which helps families cover early learning costs for children ages 3 to 4.

“These scholarships are a significant step toward our goal of giving every Louisville family access to quality early learning,” said Reylene Robinson, Executive Director of TB5L. “By making them available to a broad range of families, parents no longer have to choose between pursuing a career and giving their child a quality learning environment.”

Beginning today, families can visit the Thrive By 5 Louisville website to see if they qualify for the Family Access Scholarships pilot and, if eligible, complete an application. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to qualifying families, with 75 scholarships available at each of the three levels.

“It’s incredible to see this investment in families through Thrive come to fruition,” said TB5L Board Chair Ashley Novak Butler and Executive Director of Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation. “Reylene and the team have worked tirelessly to strengthen Louisville’s early childhood ecosystem. When families have access to quality child care, our workforce is stronger, and our community thrives. This is exactly the kind of future we are working to build together.”

Once awarded, scholarships continue until a child enters kindergarten, even if the family’s income later rises above the eligibility limit. Families must live in Jefferson County, Kentucky, to apply and must meet all of the following criteria:

• Child is 3 or 4 years old
• Child has not been enrolled in child care or preschool in the last six months
• Child will attend a licensed child care center full-time
• Family annual household income falls within the program guidelines

Here are examples of qualifying family incomes:

“This pilot is another exciting step forward that provides much-needed support to hardworking Louisville families,” said Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. “I’m proud to continue working with Thrive By 5 Louisville to set our community up for long-term success by making high-quality early learning opportunities more affordable and accessible.”

After a completed application is approved, families will be contacted by a TB5L Family Navigator within 3 business days to discuss next steps, explain the scholarship process, and help identify the right early learning center for their child.

 

About Thrive By 5 Louisville

Thrive By 5 Louisville (TB5L) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to early childhood education in Louisville, KY. Established in 2024 as an independent 501(c)(3), TB5L supports early learning providers by leveraging public and philanthropic funding to recruit and retain early educators, improve early learning facilities, and provide tuition support to families. TB5L emerged from the Mayor’s Early Learning Action Group (MELAG), which Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg formed in 2023 to address the critical need for expanded early childhood education in the community. For more information, visit thriveby5louisville.org.

 

Media Contact:

Bill Shory
bill@fdlcomms.com
(502) 974-4332

 

Media kit available at: thriveby5louisville.org/press-kit

*The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) is Kentucky’s child care subsidy that helps eligible working families and students afford child care so parents can work or pursue education or training. Family Access Scholarships combine CCAP and Thrive funding to pay all or part of tuition directly to the participating child care provider.